Launch of the "Busan Power Semiconductor Specialized Complex Promotion Team"

Local Governments, Power Semiconductor Companies, Regional Universities, and Public Institutions Lead
Over 100 Officials Including Mayor Park Hyung-jun and Gijang County Governor Jeong Jong-bok Attend on the 25th

Busan City is taking full-scale steps to secure a leading position in the high-performance compound power semiconductor industry.

On the 25th at 2 p.m., Busan City held the launch ceremony of the ‘Busan Power Semiconductor Specialized Complex Promotion Team’ at the Westin Chosun Busan, announcing that the promotion team will begin full-scale activities.

Since the designation of the Dongnam Radiation Medical and Science Industrial Complex in Gijang-gun as a power semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment (SoBuJang) specialized complex in July, the city has formed a dedicated task force (TF) team at Busan Technopark to respond to support projects from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, and Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology. The city has been swiftly carrying out follow-up measures such as establishing a SoBuJang foundation and conducting demand surveys for research and development (R&D) projects.

On September 22, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy also launched an inter-ministerial support council headed by the ministry’s first vice minister to support SoBuJang specialized complexes. Additionally, a ‘Specialized Complex Support Center’ was established, consisting of related organizations such as KIAT (secretariat), Korea Industrial Complex Corporation, Korea Electric Power Corporation, and Korea Water Resources Corporation. The center will identify difficulties faced by the specialized complex industry and serve as a support secretariat for prompt resolution.

This promotion team was launched on the 25th after about three months of preparation, as the city recognized the necessity of forming a comprehensive promotion team involving local governments, power semiconductor companies, regional universities, and public institutions to accelerate the power semiconductor specialized complex project, foster cooperation among government, industry, academia, and research, and support companies.

Led by Lee Seong-gwon, Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs of Busan City, the team is composed of a general promotion team, a corporate support team, and a secretariat, playing a central role in establishing plans for fostering the specialized complex. Furthermore, 20 organizations including the city, Gijang-gun, power semiconductor companies, regional universities, associations, and related institutions form a consultative body that acts as the decision-making body of the promotion team.

The 20 organizations include Busan City, Gijang-gun, SK Powertech, Trinotechnology, B2G, GMJECO, Hyosung Chemical, STI, Hyosung Electric, Pusan National University, Pukyong National University, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Dong-A University, Dong-Eui University, UNIST, Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, Busan Technopark, Busan Institute of Industrial Science and Innovation, Korea Power Semiconductor Industry Association, and the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Materials.

The launch ceremony will proceed in the following order: ▲Awarding of meritorious persons ▲Appointment of policy advisors and promotion team secretariat directors ▲Signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to activate the power semiconductor specialized complex ▲Presentation of the promotion direction for the Busan power semiconductor specialized complex and a discussion on success strategies.

Attending the ceremony will be Park Hyung-joon, Mayor of Busan, Jeong Jong-bok, Mayor of Gijang-gun, and representatives from anchor and partner companies such as B2G (CEO Shin Jeong-hoon), GMJECO (CEO Choi Yoon-hwa), STI (CEO Seo Tae-il), Trinotechnology (CEO Choi Jae-sik), SK Powertech (CEO Noh Kyung-yong), Hyosung Electric (CEO Jeong Jin-geun), and Hyosung Chemical (CEO Lee Geon-jong). Also present will be presidents of regional universities fostering semiconductor talent including Pusan National University (President Cha Jeong-in), Pukyong National University (President Jang Young-soo), Korea Maritime and Ocean University (President Do Deok-hee), Dong-A University (President Lee Hae-woo), Dong-Eui University (President Han Soo-hwan), and UNIST (President Lee Yong-hoon). Representatives from related institutions supporting or participating in the promotion team such as the Korea Power Semiconductor Industry Association (Chairman Choi Yoon-hwa), Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (President Kim Nam-gyun), Busan Technopark (President Kim Hyung-gyun), and Busan Institute of Industrial Science and Innovation (President Seo Yong-cheol) will also attend, totaling about 100 participants.

First, in the awarding of meritorious persons, Mayor Park Hyung-joon will personally present mayoral commendations to 11 individuals including power semiconductor company CEOs, university professors, and related institution officials who contributed to the designation of the power semiconductor specialized complex.

Next, to facilitate smooth activities of the promotion team, Professor Shin Hoon-gyu of the Department of Semiconductor Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology will be appointed as Busan City’s policy advisor in the power semiconductor field, and Kim Young-bu, head of the Policy Planning Division at Busan Technopark, will be appointed as the promotion team secretariat director.

Professor Shin Hoon-gyu is one of the leading authorities in the domestic semiconductor field. In 2012, he served as a planning committee member for the preliminary feasibility study of the Busan power semiconductor commercialization project and currently serves as a specialist committee member for the power semiconductor commercialization project at Busan Technopark. He also serves as vice chairman of the Korea Power Semiconductor Industry Association and as a specialist committee member of the Performance Evaluation Committee of the National Science Advisory Council. Starting from this appointment, he will serve as a policy advisor for two years.

Furthermore, in the MOU to activate the power semiconductor specialized complex, 18 organizations including Busan City, Gijang-gun, power semiconductor companies, universities, associations, and related institutions will pledge mutual cooperation to complete a virtuous value chain.

Upon signing the agreement, Busan City and Gijang-gun will actively provide administrative support necessary for the successful operation and smooth promotion of the specialized complex, while power semiconductor companies will strive to create good jobs and recruit excellent local talent.

Additionally, companies and participating universities and institutions will maximize the use of their capabilities and resources to promote the development of related local industries.

Finally, in the presentation of the promotion direction for the Busan power semiconductor specialized complex and the discussion on success strategies, Lee Kyung-deok, Director of the Future Industry Bureau of Busan City, will present the promotion direction, and an expert panel will be invited to hold a discussion under the theme of success strategies for the Busan power semiconductor specialized complex.

In the promotion direction presentation, the city plans to secure core power semiconductor technologies through the establishment of testbeds such as advanced research infrastructure for power semiconductors and value chain-linked cooperative technology R&D centered on anchor companies. It also plans to provide high-quality jobs to local youth by fostering customized professional manpower tailored to corporate demand using regional universities and public fabs (public semiconductor manufacturing plants). The city will also actively improve residential conditions by expanding incentives for resident companies and support for the relocation of outstanding external talent.

In the discussion, chaired by Professor Shin Hoon-gyu of Pohang University of Science and Technology, the following will present and discuss: ▲Choi Jae-won, Dean of the College of Engineering at Pusan National University, on local power semiconductor talent cultivation ▲Kim Dong-soon, Professor at Sejong University, on R&D directions for materials, parts, and equipment specialized complexes ▲Kim Sang-jin, CEO of STI, on promoting the Busan specialized complex from a materials perspective ▲Kim Kwon-je, CEO of IQ Lab, on the demand of parts companies in the SoBuJang specialized complex. The city plans to incorporate the diverse opinions raised during the discussion into policies for fostering the power semiconductor industry.

Mayor Park Hyung-joon emphasized, “Busan is the only place in the country capable of forming and developing a power semiconductor value chain.” He added, “Our city will support the early establishment of the complex and, based on the government-industry-academia cooperation system, cultivate and connect excellent talent to make Busan the ultra-competitive power semiconductor hub leading Korea’s future, the Busan power semiconductor specialized complex.”